Acetylene-gas machine.



No. 643,576. Patented Feb. l3, I900. J. WALTUN.

ACETYLENE GAS MACHINE.

(Application filed June 2, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT rnicn.

JAMES WALTON, OF PHGENIOIA, NEW YORK.

ACETYLENE-GAS MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 643,576, dated February 13, 1900. Application filed Tune 2, 1899. Serial No. 719,127. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LJAMES WALTON, of Phoenicia, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Gas- Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas machines; and the object is to provide a gas-machine of comparatively simple construction in which all the carbid con tained in a charge will be consumed to generate gas, thus resulting in economy of production, and, further, to so construct the machine that there are no pressure actuated valves that might corrode and interfere with the perfect working of the machine, and, still further, to so arrange the parts that upon an excessive gas pressure the excess will be quickly and automatically relieved and discharged into the outer atmosphere or into a sewer or the like.

I will describe a gas-machine embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which the figure of drawing is a vertical section of a gas'machine embodying the in-, vention.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the generator-cylinder, surrounded by a jacket 2, and at the upper end of this jacket 2 is a reservoir 3 for containing water to cool the gas formed in the generator 1 and for keeping the generator, cool. The top 4 of the generator is removable, but is designed to be heldtightly in its closed position, as here shown, by means of a screw 5, engaging in a tapped hole in a cross-yoke 6 and impinging upon the upper side of the cover. At the lower end of the generator-cylinder is an outwardlyswinging bottom 7, from which a rod 8 extends downward for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

Suspended from. the cover 4 is a carbidholder 9, which is open at its top and has a perforated bottom. The carbid-holder is designed to receive the required amount of carbid to generate the desired amount of gas, and obviously different sizes of holders may be employed, so that the capacity of the machine may be made to accord with the number of lights to be supplied with gas.

The generator-cylinder 1 and the parts carried thereby are movable vertically in a water-tank 10,designed to receive water,in which the carbid is to be immersed for generating gas, and also serving as a water seal and means for cooling the gas. The upper portion 11 of the water-tank is enlarged, so as to receive the water pressed upward in the tank by gaspressure on the surface of the water contained between the generator 1 and the jacket 2.

The gasometer is guided in its vertical movements by clips 12, attached to the enlarged portion of the tank 10, and in notches in which. guide-strips 13 on the jacket 2 engage. The water-tank 10 has a hopper-like bottom 14, which communicates by a central port 15 with an ash-receiving chamber 16 at the bottom of the tank. The port 15 is controlled by a gate-valve 17, movable in a valvecasing 18 and having a threaded-stem 19 extended outward through the side of the watertank. The space between the lower side of the hopper 14 and the top side of the upper wall of the ash-chamber 16 forms a waterchamber, in which water is to be placed to a desired height for washing, cooling, and purifying gas before it is discharged to the gasometer, as will be hereinafter described. Water may be placed in this chamber through a valve-controlled pipe 19*, and at the lower portion of the chamber there is a drain-pipe 20. A pipe 21 leads from a point near the bottom of the chamber for the purifying-water, through the funnel-shaped bottom 14, and thence between the cylinder 1 and the jacket 2, terminating at a point above the waterlevel in the water-tank. From the upper portion of the generating-cylinder a pipe 22 leads downward between said cylinder and the jacket, and its lower end terminates below the generator-cylinder, and it extends into the water contained in the jacket, and any foreign substance in the gas falls through the water into the ash-chamber, while the gas bubbles up through the water into the gas-chamber surrounding the carbid-receptacle.

At a point practically in vertical alinement drain-pipe 23, leading downward and outward with the bolt forming the hinge for the bottom 7 is located the upper end or inlet of a through the water-tank to a sewer or any other suitable place. This pipe is provided with a cook or valve 23* to be operated when the carbid-receptacle reaches its lowermost position, in which the inlet of the drain-pipe is im mediately adjacent to the bottom 7, which in such position is open, as will be described hereinafter. The drain-pipe is for the purpose of removing any water from the carbid-receptacle after a charge has been exhausted, so as to avoid wetting the new charge.

In connection with my generator as hereinbefore describedI employ any suitable gasometer-for instance, the one shown in the drawing.

Arranged at one side of the generator and its water-tank is a gasometer having a fixed portion 24 for containing water and in which the bell 25 is vertically movable. This bell has a conical top, and surrounding this conical top is a receptacle 26 for containing a sand or water ballast.

A pipe 27 leads from the chamber below the hopper-like bottom 14 and from a point above the level of the water contained in said chamber to the lower portion of the fixed part 24 of the gasometer, where it discharges into a chamber 28 for containing cooling and purifying water. This pipe 27 is provided with suitable valves 29 and 30, and it also has a drain-pipe 31, controlled by a suitable valve. The upper portion of the section 24 of the gasometer is enlarged, as indicated at 32, to receive water that might be forced upward by gas-pressure, as described in connection with the enlarged portion 11 of the water-tank 10. From the chamber 28 a pipe 33 leads upward in the gasometer and terminates at a point above the water-level in the bell. Another pipe 34 leads downward from a point above the water-level in the bell and connects with the distributing-pipe 35, which leads to the burners. A safety-pipe 36 extends upward in the gasometer and through an opening in the conical cover of the bell. At its upper portion this pipe 36 is closed by a cap 37, and below this cap a port 38 is provided. Attached to the coveror top of the gasometen bell and surrounding the safety-pipe 36 is a sleeve 39, which extends nearly to the bottom of the said bell.

In operation after a charge of carbid has been inserted and before any gas is generated the gasometer-cylinder 2 moves downward to bring the lower end of the holder 9 into the water, which is permitted to enter through the bottom of the generator-cylinder, since the closure 7 is opened by the rod 8 striking against the funnel-shaped bottom 14. The gas will immediately begin to rise and pass in a crude state from the generator-cylinder through the pipe 22, from which it will bubble up through the water and pass to the space above the water-level between the cylinder 1 and the jacket 2. This gas will then discharge through the pipe 21 into the cooling and purifying chamber, where it will bubble up through the water, and thence pass through the pipe 27 into the water contained in the chamber 28, and thence through the pipe 33 to the gasometer-bell, and then out through the pipes 34 and 35. When the pressure in the generator or in the space between the cylinder 1 and the jacket 2 reaches a desired maximum, the holder 9 will be raised out of the water and the generation of gas will cease until the pressure is again reduced. Should the pressure become excessive in the gasometer, the bell will rise until its upper end strikes against the cap 37 on the pipe 36, and at this time the port 38 will be at a point within the sleeve 39 and the lower end of said sleeve will be above the water-level. Therefore the excessive pressure may pass out through the sleeve 39 and the pipe 36, thus preventing any possible danger of explosion by excessive pressure. When the charge is spent, the generator will move downward until the rod 8 strikes against the funnel-shaped bottom 14. This will swing the bottom 7 upward, permitting the ashes which may have collected below the holder 9 to fall into the hopper 14, and thence pass through the port 15 into the ash-chamber 16. As the ashes are much heaver than the water they will while falling into the chamber 16 force the water upward or a greater portion of it through the port 15. Then upon closing the valve 17 the ashes may be removed through an opening in the wall of the ash-chamber.

It is obvious that after once starting this machine will require very little, if any, attention until the whole charge of carbid is consumed. The several parts may be easily separated for cleaning or other purpose, and, further, owing to the several washings the gas supplied to the burners will be practically pure.

It will be observed that the bottom 7 will normally be open, owing to the engagement of the rod 8 with the bottom 14. The gas generated will normally be consumed at a sumcient rate to prevent the generator 1 from rising enough to cause the bottom 7 to close. If, however, too much gas is generated or in'case the delivery of gas is shut 011, (as by closing the cook 29 or 30,) the pressure within the generator will cause the body 1 to rise, as shown in the drawing, closing the bottom 7, so that there will be no further supply of water to generate gas. This is of particular importance, as it prevents a wasteful decomposition'of carbid when the generator is not in use.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a gas-machine, a water-tank, a generator-cylinder movable vertically in the watertank, a jacket surrounding and carried by said cylinder, a carbid-holder supported in the cylinder and having a perforated lower end, a swinging closure for the generatorcylinder, means for opening the closure when the cylinder is in its lower position and a gasometer having connection with the generator, substantially as specified.

2. In a gas-machine, a water-tank, a generator-cylinder movable verticallyin the watertank, a jacket carried by and surrounding said cylinder, and having a water-receptacle at its upper end, means for supporting a carbid-holder in the cylinder, an upwardlyswinging bottom for said cylinder, means for opening said bottom when the cylinder is in its lower position and pipes for conducting gas discharged from the cylinder, substantially as specified.

3. In a gas-machine, awater-tank enlarged at its upper end, a generator-cylinder movable vertically in the tank, a jacket carried by and surrounding the cylinder, a dischargepipe leading from the upper portion of the cylinder to a point near the lower end of the cylinder, another discharge-pipe for receiving gas discharged from the first-named pipe, and a water-chamber in the lower portion of the water-tank and into which the last-named pipe discharges, substantially as specified.

4. In a gas-machine, a water-tank having a funnel-shaped lower portion or bottom, an ash-chamber having valve-controlled communication with said funnel-shaped bottom, a water-chamber between said funnel-shaped bottom and the ash chamber, a generator-cylinder movable in the water-tank, and means for directing gas from said generator-cylinder into the water-chamber below the funnelshaped bottom, substantially as specified.

5. In a gas-machine, a water-tank, a generator-cylinder movable vertically in the watertank, a jacket carried by and surrounding the said cylinder, an upwardly-swinging bottom for the generator, a rod extended from said swinging bottom and adapted for engagement with the bottom of the water-tank, and a receiver for receiving gas generated in the generator-cylinder, substantially as specified.

6. The combination with a Water-tank, of a generator movable therein and provided with a movable bottom which is held open until an excess of gas is generated when it automatically closes, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of a water-tank, a generator movable therein, a self-closing bottom for said generator, and means for holding said bottom open when the generator is in its lowermost position, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the water-tank, the generator movable therein, a hinged bottom for said generator, adapted to be closed by gas-pressure, and a rod projecting from the bottom and adapted to collide with the bottom of-the tank to open the said bottom.

9. The combination of a water-tank, agenerator movable therein, a movable bottom for said generator, means for holding the bottom open when the generator is in its lowermost position, and a stationary drain-pipe having its inlet adjacent to the said bottom, sub stantially as described.

JAMES WALTON.

Witnesses:

J. G. LEIPOLD, A. J. SIMPSON. 

